Gatekeeping and Agenda-Setting

In this new age where the media constantly shoots out a deluge of knowledge, the society is becoming more specific in their choice of media though various methods of gatekeeping and agenda-setting. Gatekeeping and agenda-setting are theories of mass media that state the influence of the media on the society. In his article, “The New Global Media”, Robert McChesney states that rich media results in a poor democracy. I agree with McChesney because even in the saturated media age, we can no longer control the influences from media, in terms of the shows we watch, the music we listen to, and the news we follow.

Gatekeeping is a theory of mass media that states that the public has very little control as to which media items are released, and so the control ultimately rests in the hands of the media. Mass media is the main means of communication for the society. Some classifications of mass media are, televisions, radio, books and newspapers. Newspaper editors for example, have control over the stories they want to see published. This may cause a slight bias in the works published because the media will be interfering with people’s beliefs. This leads into the theory of agenda-setting, which states that the media doesn’t tell us what to think, but what to think about.

Trans-national corporations that dominate the American media such as Sony, News Corporation, and Disney are also spreading worldwide. For instance, countries like France and India, have adopted the American lifestyle. They broadcast American television shows on televisions manufactured by Sony, as well as promote American music, food, and fashion for teenagers, most of which is advertised through the Disney channel. Although the French and Indians watch American shows, they are limited to only a certain variety of shows. Perhaps their strong democratic governments are afraid of their inhabitants catching the “Hollywood juggernaut”? This is due to the gatekeeping nature of those countries. The government filters out any unsuitable content and discards it. Shows that promote sex, drugs, and violence are censored in these countries because they want to maintain their cultural values that otherwise could get deluded in this juggernaut. An example of this would be the News Corporation. For example, people in India are not allowed to listen to the news about Gay Marriage Rights and Abortion Laws happening in America because of the scandalous nature of those topics. However, news about Scientific Breakthroughs and Movie Premiers does reach the public. Due to their violent nature, television shows like “The Simpsons” and “Jerry Springer” are prohibited. Game shows such as “Deal or No Deal”, “Jeopardy”, and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, are allowed because they promote education and are family friendly. The popular television shows shown in India today are ones that are run by Disney. Shows like “That’s Ss Raven” and “Lizzie McGuire” showcase the typical American life in positive light, leaving the viewers to falsely believe that everyone in America lives the American Dream.

Another example of gatekeeping is the music we listen to. In a country that offers freedom to anyone and everyone who lives on its land, America has a wide variety of music to offer, some of which carries inappropriate language for its listeners. Parents, however, have the power to limit the types of music their children listen to. They can purchase the ‘clean’ versions of rap songs that are void of swearing. Parents can take the agenda-setting approach by influencing their children to divert to another style of music, such as classical because doesn’t feature swearing. They can use the fact that studies have proven that the “Mozart Effect”, which is listening to classical music, does make children smarter by boosting their intelligence.

In addition to influencing people thorough television and music, the news media can also influence people by altering their beliefs. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the news channels such as CNN and FOX, drew false parallels to the hurricane with global warming. There is no scientific fact that proves this point, but these assumptions are made by drawing conclusions. In recent events of the Presidential Elections, the media has voiced various viewpoints, favoring one candidate over the other. The public follows the media religiously and blindly accepts the views of the writer. This may cause the change in public’s opinion for the election outcome in Fall 2008.

Gatekeeping and agenda-setting both influence the public by altering their beliefs. Whether it is television, music or news, the government makes sure that people’s beliefs are manipulated. These examples illustrate McChesney’s statement because, with the vast media dominating today’s world, people can no longer express their thoughts freely or control what they view on television. Countries like France and India have a rich democracy because of their lack of choices of media. Instead, the media forces them to alter their thoughts, so the media can control the outcome of events. Until the media ceases their control over the public, people will continue to be persuaded.